OUADDAR Abdelkebir

General
ROYAL ADOPTION
Princess Lalla Fatima Zohra, the sister of the-then King Hassan II of Morocco, spotted him playing football in the streets of Marrakech when he was age eight. In keeping with a Moroccan tradition in which the royal family can adopt ordinary children, Princess Lalla went to see his parents to convey her desire to take him into her family and raise him as one of her own. His father believed that it would be the best for his future and agreed to let him go. Another sister of the king, Princess Lalla Amina, who was also the head of Morocco's royal equestrian sports society, helped raise him and develop his passion for jumping. "She came to get me regularly over the space of a month to teach me not to be afraid of horses. It was thanks to her that I first put my foot in a stirrup." (telegraph.co.uk, 30 Jul 2016)

ALL THE KING'S HORSES
King Mohammed VI of Morocco, who owns the horses Ouaddar competes, was named the 2015 International Equestrian Federation [FEI] Owner of the Year. "King Mohammed VI puts everything at my disposal to make me feel at ease. First class tickets and everything you need. I'm really lucky, I can say that I am treated like a king too." (horsetalk.co.nz, 19 May 2016; hebdo.ch, 13 Dec 2013)

OTHER ROLES
He has served as athletes' representative on the board of the Moroccan Olympic Committee. (cnom.org.ma, 18 Dec 2020)

He became the first athlete representing Morocco to compete in equestrian jumping at the Olympic Games when he took part in the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Apr 2019; telegraph.co.uk, 30 Jul 2016; frmse.ma, 13 Jun 2013)